This is the home page for the the Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science (ARIES). ARIES was formed to address the environmental impacts of the discovery, development, production, and use of energy resources in Appalachia, and is under the direction of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech.

ARIES, in cooperation with SME, is sponsoring the 2015 "Environmental Considerations in Energy Production" conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from September 20- 23, 2015, to focus on environmental issues in energy production. The call for papers for the 2015 meeting is available here .

The 2015 conference is a follow up on the 2013 ECEP symposium held in Charleston, West Virginia. (Proceedings volume is available from SME here.) .

See information about the search for an ARIES Outreach Coordinator in ARIES Updates.

Mission Statement

The purpose of ARIES is to engage in detailed studies of the environmental impacts of the mining, gas, and energy sectors in Appalachia, focusing on both upstream (mining, drilling, and processing) and downstream (water, land, and air) issues. To meet that purpose, ARIES will conduct scientific inquiry and research, foster publication and contribute to the relevant literature, and engage in outreach efforts to share and disseminate results. Initially, work carried out by ARIES will focus on the coal mining industry.

The members of ARIES have undertaken a carefully-structured array of interrelated studies, currently divided into four empahasis areas:

Stream Protection and Restoration

Materials characterization and handling

Water impacts of UG coal mining

Community and health impacts

Follow ARIES on Twitter: @ARIES_VT and on Facebook: Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science